Cigarette making machine



Aug. 23, 1932. w. E MOLINS CIGRETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Jan. 10, 1951 carding is uniformly the removal'ofthe' tobacco in large tufts and Patented Aug. 23, 1932 FAT wntrnnnvnnnrr MoLrNsQor n-nrrronn, LONDON, ENGLAND crennnm'rn MAKING MLAGHINE Application filedjanuary 10, 1931, Serial no 507,969, aim in Great Britain November 18, 1930.

The invention relates to cigarette making machines, and refers more particularly to the tobacco feeding apparatus of such machines, and'has for its object to provide means for maintaining the tobacco in the'hopper in contact with'the main carded combing roller which removes the tobacco from the hopper, under conditions which ensure that the said filled, whilst avoiding over weighting or overcrowding the combing roller.

The object is achieved by regulating the height of the tobacco mass with respect to the combing roller and the density of'tho mass as hereinafter described. a

Under these'conditions 1t s' possible to manufacture cigarettes of more uniform Weight and the invention includes a method of manufacturing cigarettes which consists in automatically maintaining a mass of tobacco located in thehopper of a cigarette machine at a substantially constant level relatively to a combing roller by pressing upon the tobacco so as to prevent the same from rising above' a predetermined level and carrying the surplus tobacco away from the combing roller and simultaneously pressing the tobacco with sufiicient force to en- 30 sure that the carding of the combing roller is uniformly'filled.

The invention also consists of an apparatus for automatically maintaining amass of tobacco located in the hopper of a ciga 5 rette machine at a substantially constant level relatively to the combing roller, which comprises means arranged to bear uponthe tobacco so as to prevent thesame from rising above a predetermined level and tocarry the surplus tobacco away from the combing roller, whilst at the same time pressingupon the tobacco with suflicient force. to ensure that the carding of the combing rolleris uniformly filled;

Further, the invention comprises an apparatus as set forth in the preceding paragraph wherein movable prongs are arranged in conjunction with the said means for the purpose of removing any tobacco adhering thereto, and raking back any surplus tobacco which tends tof'accumulate' adjacent to the fFfigs. 4 and 5 are views of a modification of the apparatus. I r

Referring to Fig. 1, the tobacco is placed n the hopper 1 from which it is carried by a feeding roller 2 and delivered to a carded combing roller 3 which carries itupwardly and beneath a carded brushing roller 4 which rotates in such a manner as to brush back the superfluous tobacco'which is carried upwards by the combing roller.

The tobacco carried on the combing roller is subsequently picked therefrom by the picker roller 5 and falls on ma distributor t) which, in the present instance, is shown as a roller and from which it 'is removed by another picker roller 7 and delivered to the filling channel 8 of the cigarette making machine. i 1 f The top or brushing roller 4 may have a number of circumferential grooves 9 formed at intervals of, for example, 1 along its length. I v

Flexible bands 10 arranged in these grooves pass around a. guide roller 11 which maybe furnished with-corresponding grooves or left plain as shown in some distance away from the brushing roller. The bands 10 bear upon the mass of tobacco in the hopper so that the'lower lengths of the flexible bands constitute a flexible levelling device or presser for the tobacco in the hopper. The flexible bands are preferably formed of close-wound spiral springs, and as the brushing roller rotates, the bands travel therewith so that the portions of the same in contact with the tobacco mass move awaythe drawing and placed from the gap or entry between the brushing and combing rollers.

In the spaces between the flexible bands are arranged a number of movable prongs 12-. These are preferably mounted on the guide roller 11 which may be rooved to carry the bands, or alternatively, have the prongs arranged so that they form guides for the bands, inwhich case it is not necessary to groove the roller.

The prongs 12 are made of springy material and are preferably arranged tangentially to the surface of the roller 11.

Should the tobacco tend to rise to a higher level on the surface of the combing roller, it is prevented from moving far by the flexible bands. The bands stretch and curve upward- 1y to some extent, but the pressure exerted on the tobacco combined with the rearward movement of the bands is sufficient to check the upwardmovement of the same and press thetobacco into the carding over a comparatively large surface, thus ensuring that the carding is more completely filled than when the main filling action is confined to the smaller areawhere the carding and. brushing roller meet as in prior arrangements.

At the same time, the surplus tobacco rising between the bands is raked towards the backof the hopper by the movable prongs 12 which also serve to remove any tobacco adhering to the flexible bands and which would otherwise be carried upwards on to the surface of the brushing roller.

The guide roller 11 may be adjustably mounted .so that the lower portions of the flexible bands may be moved into any suitable position as found best by experience.

Fig. 3 shows a bracket in which each end of the spindle of the roller 11 may be mounted. The spindle of the roller is inserted in the slot 13 and clamped by nuts in any desired position, whilst the whole device may be adjusted along the sides of the hopper by the screws 14 and locked in position by the bolt 15 which is secured in the hopper wall or some member carried thereby and passes through the slot 16. V 7

If desired, the guide roller 11 may be carried in a counter-weighted frame so that after a certain flexing of the bands has taken place, thewhole device will lift somewhat above the tobacco mass, for example, in Fig. 1, the spindle of roller 11 is shown mounted in links 17 which are pivoted at 18 and have weights 19 to press the apparatus downwards. A fixed pin 20, which may be adjustably positioned, is provided to locate the roller 11 in a fixed lower. position.

Each band may have its guide in the form of a narrow pulley mounted independently and adjustably in order to better accommodate irregularities in the mass of tobacco.

An example of this modification is shown in Figs. 4: and 5, from which it will be seen that the guide pulley 21 is carried in a yoke The rotating prongs 23 are, in this case, mounted on the spindle of the guide pulley 21 which extends beyond the yoke 22.

To better work the tobacco into the carding, the pronged idler over the bands pass may be given a lateral oscillating movement, thus imparting a lateral movement to the bands and the mass of tobacco relative to the carded rollers, causing the rows of carding to secure better grip of the under surface of the tobacco mass. The idler may be oscillated by a forked lever working in a grooved collar on the roller spindle and rocked by a cam or similar device. 7

It will be seen, therefore, that the action of the flexible bands tends to keep the tobacco at a uniform height and whenever the tobacco begins to accui'nulate in the entry of the two rollers, the action of the bands tends to carry the tobacco backwards, whilst at all times the spring tension causes the combing roller to become uniformly filled.

As previously stated, the rotating prongs clear the flexible bands of any tobacco adhering thereto, and also rake back any surplus tobacco accumulating between the said bands.

I/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising means for removing surplus tobacco from the vicinity of the combing roller, said means exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure thus exterted being sufficient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller.

2. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising means exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufficient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller.

3. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising means exterting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same 1 from rising above a predetermined level, the

pressure exerted being suflicient to ensure the uniform'filling of'the carding of the combing roller; and movable prongs associ ated with said. means to remove-tobacco adherin-gthereto and withdraw surplustobacco rom the vicinity of the combing roller.

LI-n apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combinationwith a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller" within-the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a flexible band exerting vi'eldin ressure on the tobacco to revent u {j the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufficient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller.

5. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a flexible band exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being suflicient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller, and means for moving said flexible band in such a direction as to effect removal of surplus tobacco from the vicinity of the carding roller.

6. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of acarded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a flexible band exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being suflicient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of o the combing roller, means for moving said flexible band in such a direction as to effect removal of surplus tobacco from the vicinity of the carding roller, and means movable with respect to the band for removing tobacco adhering thereto.

7. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a flexible band exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufficient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of tie combing roller, means for moving said flexible band in such a direction as to effect removal of surplus tobacco fromthe vicinity of the carding roller, and a guide roller for said band having'prongs thereon for removing tobacco adheringto the band.v

8. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within'the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially. constant level with'respect to the combing roller, said I device comprising a close-Wound spiral spring constituting a continuous flexible band exerting yielding pressureon the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufficientvto ensure the uniform fillingof the carding of thecombing roller,'and means for moving said flexible band'in such a direction as to effect removal of surplustobacco'cfrom the vicinityof the carding roller.

9. In apparatus for feedingtobacco, the

combination with a hopper for' the tobacco,

of a carded combingroller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopperat a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a flexible band exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco tov Prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted'being sufficient-to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller,'means'for moving's aiol the same from rising above'a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufficient to ensure the uniform filling of the cardingof the combing'roller, means-for movingsaid flexible band in such a direction as to effect removal of surplus tobacco from the vicinity of the carding -r-oller,-guiderollers, for sup-; porting said band,- and means-for mounting one of said guide rollers for adjustment to- Ward or away fromwthe'toba'cco.

11.:In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the

combination with ahopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper,- and a device, for maintaining the tobacco within the hopperat a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a plurality of flexible bands exerting yielding pressure on the to bacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufficient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller, and means for moving said bands in such a direction .as to eifect removal of surplus tobacco fromthe vicinity of the carding roller.

' 12. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining. the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising a plurality of flexible bands exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, the pressure exerted being sufiicient to ensure the uniform filling of the carding of the combing roller, means for moving said bands in such a direction as to effect removal of surplus tobacco from the vicinity of the carding roller, and a guide roller for said bands having prongs thereon extending between the bands .to remove ad hering tobacco therefrom.

13. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, th combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, a brushing roller cooperating with said combing roller, a guide roller, and a plurality of continuous bands extending around said brushing and guide rollers and exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, said bands being driven in a direction tending to remove surplus tobacco from ad v jacent the combing roller.

14. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, a brushing roller cooperating with said combing roller, a guide roller, and a plurality of continuous resilient bands extending around said brushing and guide rollers and exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level, said bands being driven by said brushing roller in a direction tending to remove surplus tobacco from adjacent the combing roller.

"15. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a-substantially constant level with respect to the combing roller, said device comprising means for removing surplus tobacco from the vicinity of the combing roller, said means exerting yielding pressure on the tobacco to prevent the same from rising above a predetermined level.

16. In apparatus for feeding tobacco, the combination with a hopper for the tobacco, of a carded combing roller within the hopper, and a device for maintaining the tobacco within the hopper at a substantially constant level with respect to the combingroller, said device comprising a flexible band exerting of the carding 

